Portable boat



2, 1948. 1. H. THEDICK 2,457,0w

PORTABLE BOAT v Filed Feb. 28,1194? 2 sheets-sheet;

A 7' TOR/VE YS Desc.` 2l, 1948. v J. H. THEDICK 2,457,010

vPORTABLF BOAT FileaFeb. 2a, 1947 l l 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEY@ Patented Dec. 21, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE BOAT John H. Thedick,l O aklandg Calif.

Application February 28, 1947, Serial No. 731,537

Z-Claims. 1

This invention relates to boats, and more particularly to a boat of the portable knockdown type wherein the separable sections may be conveniently and compactly nested together for purposes of transporting the boat to and from its site of use.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a boat comprised of a plurality of interftting sections adapted to be pressingly held in abutting relation by a plurality of cables, said cables having associated therewith novel means for maintaining them under tension to render the boat seaworthy.

Another object of the invention is t provide a knockdown boat embodying a plurality of separable sections, said sections and the accessory members thereof being so formed as to allow of a nesting of the sections to provide a compact box-like package which may be readily carried by hand or stowed in a limited space, such as the trunk of an automobile, or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boat comprising a plurality of individual hull sections composed of waterproof plywood or of a molding plastic, said sections being thus provided with such strength in relation to weight that the use of bulkheads intermediate of the sections is obviated.

And still another object of the invention is to provide a portable boat comprising a plurality of separable individual hull sections` so arranged and secured together that added hull sections may be selectively added to provide a boat of a desired length and load carrying capacity. Other objectsv and advantages of the invention Vwill bev apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings forming part of this specication, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the portable boat embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the boat of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the portable boat;

Figure 4 is a detail View in perspective show ing portions of two adjacent hull sections of the boat; r 2 i l Figure 5 is an enlarged detail View in elevation cf one of the two cable securingwelements afxed to the stern section of the boat;

Figure 6 is a View taken along lines 6 6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged Vdetail view in plan of one of the forward cable-tensioning members; and

. `U-shaped transverse'rib I8 at the ends thereof v adjacent the other'sections.

Oppositely disposed lower ribs are provided for each of the boat 'f sections, said ribs for the sections I2 and I4 being secured to the transverse ribs I8 of said sections, and said ribs for the sections I0 and I6, respectively, being secured to a bow post, not shown,

plate' 221 ribs i8, and'ZII; the bow'post and the stern plate :22, there-is secured to each individual boat secandthe rib I8, and to' the rib I8 and a stern Over the framework provided by the tion 'a' hull 'skinof waterproof plywood or molded Ifplastictoiprovide side walls v2li and a floor `26.

Oppositelyfdisposed gunwalelengths 28 are secured ,to the 'outside' ofthe side walls 24 of each "fof the `boatsections at the' upper edge'thereof. vThe `transverse ribfl8 ofstern section I6 and the' forward transversefribs 'of the sectionsv I2 and I4 have secured to each of the upper edges thereof a holding vclamp 30,y while said ribs are f' ."alsoprovided` with a: pairbf-v dowel pins 32,

vadapted tov be receivedwithin a pair of dowel pin hole`s3,4, inythe ribs I8 in juxtaposition thereto.

- The clamp' and dowel pin'bearing ribs I8 have "embedded inaperipheral groove in one face thereof a rubber cable-type stripping 36 adapted f ytoseal the abuttingribsf-IS against the passage of water therebetween when the boat sections are f'orciblyfheld together in a Vrnanner which will hereinafter appear.

l 1 A rearseat 38 supportedbyclips carried'by the 1 .stern plate 22 and by hingedlegs, not shown; pivotallysecured to thefrontedge of rear seat I6;

- 43 affixed across'the gunwales '28 of bow section I0; removable oarlocksf'disecured to the side walls 21l'offfsection I4 and deck boards 46 conterminous with" the upper Iedges of the transverse l p'ortions'or ribs I8 are also provided as convenl'tional elementsof the boat structure.

inwardly exten'din'gf'recesses or wells 48 and 50 vin the'side walls 24 and "floor 26, respectively, of

AAKlthefbow( secti "Illfhaveffniounted forrotation "fth'ereina slie'ave 52, whil pivotally secured'at the ing a sheave 58 rotatably supported at the end thereof. Each of the wells 48 and 50 has a forwardly and angulariy inclined 'wall 5I. Stainless steel, bronze or steel wire cables 60, are secured to the section I0 immediately forward of each of the wells 48 and 50, as by clamps 62 secured on bolts 64 carried by the section I 0 by nuts 66, said cables extending between the sheaves 52 and 58 and having their free ends clamped between blocks 68 and 'I0 secured together by screws 12.

Four angle plates 'I4 are secured by screws I6 to the end of the stern section I6, one pair of said plates being located at the upper edge of the side walls 24 and the other pair being located at the outer' edges of the floor 26. Each of the plates 14 has a pair V,of spaced wedge-like cleats 'I8 integral therewith.l

In assembling theboat sections, the sections are successively aligned by fitting the dowel pins 32 of the ribs I8 into the dowel pin holes 34 of the adjacent ribs I8 and by simultaneously ti ting the clamps 30 over the upper ends of the adjacent ribs I8. The clamps 30` and dowel pins 32 serve to maintain the sections of the boat against unalignmentwhile the cables-,B0 are ex-f` tended to lie against the outer`- surfaces of the walls of the sections between the gunwales 28 and;

guide ribs 88 carried bythesection I2 and to lie against the underside of the hull. 'The free ends of the cables are extended between the spacedcleats 'I8 of the angle plates 'I4 and the blocks 68 and 'I0 secured to the ends of the cables are placed against side plates in position to be prevented from forward movement by the -cleats 18.

The cables, when in this position, have approxi..

tight boat. It is to be noted that the inner end' of the wall 5I of each recess serves as a stop member for the sheave 58 to maintain the cable 60 under a maximumdegree of tension, and that the tension'of the cable 60 is effective to maintain the sheave y58 against the wall 5 I, said cable thereby serving to maintain itself under a maximum tension,

Added intermediate sections, similarin form to the section I4, may be added between said section I4 and the stern section I 6 to vary the length and load Icarrying capacity of the boat.

The recessing of. the sheaves 52 and 58 within the wells 48 and 'serves :not only to protect the sheaves from damage to whichthey wouldv viding enough slack in each of the cables to allow the blocks 68 and 1I! on the rearward ends of the cables to be disengaged from the cleats *I8 of the angle plates 14. The sections of the boat may then be separated, the seats 38 and 40 and the oarlocks 44 removed, and, while the deckboards 46 are still in place, each of the sections may be nested within the next rearward section, as indicated in Figure 8. After the sections are thus nested, the stern plate 22'and the side walls 24 of the stern section I6 form three sides of a substantially rectangular box. The rear seat 38 is then brought into position to constitute the fourth wall and is secured in position by clamps on the underside thereof ttable over the transverse portion of rib I8 of the stern section). Handles 82 may be provided on the side walls of the stern section for carrying purposes, and a cover board 84 having end straps 86 adapted to be secured to the handles 82 is preferably provided to retain the nested sections in place and to form a closed box-like structure.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is understood that the embodiment is subjectto modification, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. For a knockdown boat having a plurality of separable hull sections including a bow section, a stern section, and intermediate sections, means for holding said sections in abutting relation under uniform pressure comprising a plurality of ilexible cables each having one end thereof secured to the bow section, means carried by the stern section for anchoring the opposite ends of said cables against movement toward the bow section, an elongated recess in a hull section adjacently underlying of the cables, a sheave rotatably mounted within each recess having its peripheral edge substantially conterminous with the mouth of the recess and adapted to be engaged by the adjacent cable, a first class lever eccentrically mounted for pivotal action at the mouth of each recess, a rotatable sheave mounted on the working arm of said lever, and overlying the cable, said latter sheave being effective upon a pivotal movement of the lever in one direction to travel on the cable and enter the recess to laterally displacey a portion of the cable from its unstressed position and force said portion within the recess to place the cable under be vulnerable if they protruded fromAv the sides and bottomof the hull, but also serves to enhance the external appearance of the sides of the hull and to obviate drag which would normally result if the sheaves protruded from the underside of the hull. The recessing of the sheaves also makes it possible for the cables to lie in tight engagement with the surfaces of the boat sections, thus enhancing the overallv binding effect of the cables, and allowing the side cables to be sheltered by the gunwales 28.

To disassemble the boat after use, the boat is pulled ashore, and the levers 56 are pivoted to the dotted line position of Figure 7, thus protension.

2. Means, as specified in claim 1, for locking a plurality of hull sections of a boat together, wherein the forward wall of each recess is angularly inclined toward the forepart of the hull section, said cable being adapted to lie in engagement with said wall, and the inner end of said wall being adapted to serve as a stop member for the sheave carried by the lever to maintain the cable under a maximum of tension.

JOHN H. THEDICK.

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,120,627 Rymer June 14, 1938 2,129,783 Scruggs 1 Sept. 13, 1938 

